Golden Orb Silk Weaver Spider

  The golden silk weaver orb spider (or golden orb spider) known as Nephila, evolved about 165 million years ago.  Fossils of the golden orb are the largest recorded fossils of a spider and it was around 15cm.  Today the average female has the leg span of about 5cm (2 inches), while the male is only two thirds her size.  These spiders have been known to live through out the world in warmer climates, and in Taiwan they are known to reach around 5 1/2 inches.   A large specimen was photographed eating a small finch in Queensland Australia. They get their name from the golden silk they weave.

Caecilians

  Caecilians are a limbless amphibian with the ability to live on both land and in water.  Even though they look like a harmless earthworm these creatures have a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.  Young caecilians feed on their mother after they hatch, but this behavior doesn't harm the mother.  Mother caecilians build up a thick hide before their babies hatch for this very purpose.  They live off a diet of insects and small animals.  Caecilians live in South and Central America as well as Africa and parts of Asia.

The Worlds Smallest Snake

The worlds smallest snake was found on the Caribbean island of Barbados by scientist Blair Hedges .  Adults average around 10cm and are as thin as a spaghetti noodle.   Hedges also found the smallest frog and smallest lizard in the Caribbean.  The snake was found in a small patch of forest and even though it was discovered only a few years ago Hedge said to Science Daily that it might already be in danger.

Iceberg the White Orca

The secant known white killer was sighted of the East coast of Russia, on April 23.  The mature male orca was named Iceberg.  Scientists are fighting to make his habitat a wildlife refuge.  Over fishing and drilling in the area has put the animals at risk.  The only other known white orca was captured in 1970 it was a two year old female and she died at four years old, from a rare immune system disorder.  Iceberg seems healthy though and scientists will continue to study him and other killer whales in the area.

Lion's Mane Jellyfish

  The lion's mane jellyfish is the largest jelly fish in the world.  It lives in the cold waters of the Arctic, northern Atlantic, and northern Pacific Oceans.  The largest documented specimen was found in 1870 and had a diameter of over seven feet.   They have tentacles that can be over a hundred feet long.  The lion's mane jellyfish is venomous and can be dangerous, mostly because of the volume of the stings verses the potency of the venom.  A sting from the Lion's mane can cause cramping, hart failure, and blistering.

Winter Warmth

  This is the forth warmest winter recorded in our country, but this nice weather could be bad news for farmers.  The nice weather experienced this year has caused early crop growth which means crops are vulnerable to frost damage.  Scientists speculate that the nice weather is because of extreme climate change, and if changes aren't made we can expect this erratic weather to only get worse.  Along with the warmer weather we are vulnerable to more storms and possibly more tornadoes.

Bosavi Woolly Rat

In a valcanic crater in the jungle of  Papua New Guinea a new species of rat was discovered.  The large species of rat has no natural fear of humans and has is about the size of a cat.  The rat weighs about 3lbs and is around 32 inches long. It was discovered during the filming of "Lost Land of the Volcano".   Woolly Rats have wavy brown and gray hair.

Smallest Monkey in the World

  Pygmy Marmosets are smallest monkey in world.  The small monkey is 13 inches from tail to head, and live in in large family groups.  Pygmy Marmosets live in south America along rivers in the Amazon.  Pygmy Marmosets eat spiders and fruit, but most of their diet consists of sap and gum from the trees where they gouge out the bark.  Pygmy Marmosets reach puberty at about 12 months and are fully grown at two years old.

Tissue Building Protiens

The analogous protien in fruit flies, that plays a role in building wings during development, may also exist in humans.  Biologists at Brown University speculate that this protien can help sientists better understand what goes wrong during the development of humans.  In the future sientists hope this research could help them develope better methods in treating human mutation.

Deepsea Coral are Slow to Recover

  It has been two years sense the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but the ocean is still recovering.  Marine biologists sent a deep sea submersible sevral 1000 feet below the surface to examine the damage caused by the oil spill.  They found that deep sea coral (such as Paramuricea) just 11 kilometers from where the spill happened had lost tissue, and were covered in a brown material.  Because the Paramurica grows at three centimeters a year it could take decades for it to recover.  Scientists say the full effect of the spill on deepsea life is still unknown.